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"Choices& Consequences"

Chapter 7.

"And the fourth one?"

"That one's very complicated," Wilcox stated.

"Though Agent Lee thought otherwise," Abner barely hid his anger.

"What happened?" Tony asked, rubbing his face and taking a deep breath.


Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

"Actually, it's a cold case but we'd like to keep digging," Abner began as he saw Tony open the file in front of him and frown.

"Actually, we're still investigating in our spare time," Wilcox added uncomfortably. He didn't know how their new boss would react, but he knew that their former boss would yell at them and threaten to report and fire them ASAP.

"Why?" the new team leader asked, without raising his eyes, his calm attitude surprising the men in front of him.

"US Marine Corps Colonel James Baxter was a neurosurgeon. He served in Iraq multiple times. Risked his life more than once and got several awards for it, even a Medal of Honor. He's been convicted of first-degree murder for killing his wife Angelica."

"But?" Tony prompted as he kept reading.

"But we don't think he did it," Wilcox answered.

Tony finally looked up at his agents. "Why not?" he asked and leaned back in his chair, ready to listen.

"Colonel Baxter had no reason to kill his wife. All testimonies said they were happy and in love."

"It wouldn't be the first time people thought a couple was in love when, in reality, their marriage was hell on earth," Tony replied, interlacing his fingers in front of his mouth.

"True. But if you had seen that man..." Abner sighed, shaking his head. "He was desperate."

"What was his motive?" Tony asked abruptly. He felt like he was in interrogation at NCIS HQ.

"Mrs. Baxter comes from a very rich family—they said he did it for the money," Wilcox replied.

Tony grimaced. "Lame. He's a doctor, a Colonel and," he picked up the file again and flipped through it, "as you said in here, he's already rich."

"That's what we told our former boss and testified in court to, but DA said that Angelica Baxter was richer 'cause she belonged to the Price family and the jury believed him."

Tony's green eyes widened. Jonas Price had been one of his father's business partners when Senior was a very important figure in the buying-selling real estate market for luxury houses and hotels all around the world.

"The Price family is one of the ten richest families in US," Abner added and got a nod from Tony in response.

DiNozzo motioned at the file. "I read here that what really put the last nail in Colonel's coffin was the phone call between his wife and 911."

Abner nodded sadly because that call ruined all their theories about Colonel Baxter's innocence.

Tony read aloud:

- 911. What's your emergency?

- Please help me (whisper)

- What's the problem?

- Help... Help... (whisper)

- What is going on?

- He's... He's here... (whisper)

- Who? Ma'am, where are you?

- In the closet (whisper)

- Someone's in your house?

- Yes. He's trying to kill me. (whisper and cry)

- Could you repeat that, please? Ma'am?

-...

- Ma'am? Ma'am... Can you hear me?

Loud cry. Sounds of struggle.

- Ma'am?!

-...

- Ma'am. We've your address. Help is coming!

- He found me... (choked voice and heavy breathing)

- Are you hurt? Is your attacker still in the house?

- Stab...

- Did he stab you? Ma'am! Ma'am! Stay with me. Help is on the way!

- He-help...

- Is your attacker still in the house?

- Jim... he... Jim... yes...

- Can you hide?

- Jim... in here... he...please, help... he-help... he kills me... Noooooo... Jim... in here...

Tony took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead.

"Boss," Wilcox got excited sensing Tony's discomfort and doubts. It was possible their new boss believed them! "Have you ever had the feeling that you had missed something? That a man had been wrongly sentenced?"

Tony nodded, but he still looked doubtful.

"I know that that call is...unfortunate…but we maintain Colonel Baxter is still innocent!" Wilcox exclaimed.

"We?" Tony raised his eyebrows. "You mean, you two? Or all the agents too?"

Abner and Wilcox looked at each other for a brief moment. "All of us," the first one replied.

"All of you, except your former boss," Tony clarified, leaning forward and putting his elbows on the desk.

The younger man looked down at the file once again and then stated, "I can't reopen a case based on a feeling. You need to give me more, if you want me to give you time to investigate and help you."

"Help us?" Wilcox's eyes widened.

"So, you believe us?" Abner was surprised.

"Didn't say that," Tony shook his head. "This transcription is very accusative but I like challenges and I want to trust your instincts." He regaled them with his trademark lopsided smile.

"So, what do you want us to do?" Wilcox asked.

"First, we need to close all current investigations and then we'll reexamine this case. Meanwhile, I'll read all you gave me and…" he looked around, "…rearrange this office."

"Rearrange?" Wilcox asked, surprised.

"It doesn't work. I want to be with my agents and work with them. We are a team and we work together," Tony explained and was rewarded with two bright yet relieved smiles.

Both of the older man really liked their new boss.


Washington DC - NCIS HQ

When Ziva entered the bullpen, she found McGee and Gibbs already at their desks. They were so engrossed in their job that they didn't even look at her.

"Good morning," she greeted gently.

"'Morning," Tim replied without raising his eyes while Gibbs just nodded.

"Something interesting?" she tried.

McGee shook his head and Gibbs didn't bother to answer in any way.

Ziva sat down and huffed in frustration.

"Problem, David?" Gibbs' voice startled her.

"No," she pouted.

"So why are you staring at your computer and not working?" He pierced her with his infamous glare. "If you've nothing to do, I'm sure I can find..."

"No, no. I have reports to review and print," she was quick to say before Gibbs sent her to review cold cases.

"When you're done, give McGee your reports so he can correct it," Gibbs ordered before he got back to work.

"Correct? My reports do not need to..."

"It's a SFA's job to review, correct and sign all reports before passing them to the team leader," McGee explained.

"Do you mean that Tony..." she trailed off.

Tim nodded. "Tony took all reports we left on Gibbs' desk and corrected them. Then gave them to Gibbs for a final review."

"No reviews were needed after DiNozzo's corrections," Gibbs growled. "Get to work now!" he raised his voice.

After about fifteen minutes of silence, Abby stopped in front of Gibbs' desk.

The older man just looked at her, patiently waiting for her to speak.

"Last night I met Ducky in the parking lot and he seemed really upset. I asked him what happened and he just shook his head and left. What happened?" she asked in one breath, without any pauses between sentences.

Gibbs just lowered his eyes and sighed.

"Maybe he was upset because Tony left." McGee's voice made her turn.

"Tony?!" she exclaimed. "Why would Ducky be upset? Tony left because he's selfish and doesn't care about our family and our Boss," she replied angrily.

"Abby," Gibbs growled, but she didn't stop.

"He had to stay and protect our boss. He destroyed our family and I'll never forgive him," she added, sniffling.

McGee shook his head. "Then you don't know Tony," he replied and, out of the corner of his eye, saw Ziva grinning.

The new SFA felt a shiver run down his spine. Ziva's eyes were beaming with malice. She really seemed happy that Tony had left and that Abby hated him.

"What do you know that I don't?" Abby pushed.

"I looked in his eyes."

"His eyes?!" she exclaimed, with a chuckle of disbelief. "You still believe that the eyes are the windows to the soul?"

"No," Tim answered softly. "But I know Tony better than you do, even though you've known him longer than me."

Gibbs coughed and Abby turned to him. "Is he right?" she asked, pointing to McGee, anger clear in her voice.

The boss just looked at her. Then he slowly stood up, walked around his desk and stopped right next to the lab tech.

"You're completely wrong about Tony," he whispered, only loud enough for her to hear, and left the bullpen.

"What did he say?" Ziva asked while McGee just stared at the elevator doors that had just closed behind Gibbs.

Abby stood there openmouthed as she felt her eyes filling with tears. Rage, pain, loneliness and doubts were heavy on her heart and soul now.

TBC


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